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Monday, October 8, 2018

Tennessee Dreaming - Part II

For those that do not know, I try to take annual trips to Tennessee to visit my sister, Tambrey and her family. I published a blog post back in March regarding our previous trip and I plan to make one every time I visit as Tennessee has such a special place in my heart. To go back and read a little back story, click here. This trip was a rather spontaneous one as we found out my other sister, Tiffany would be able to go around the same time. We jumped on the opportunity, and it was such short notice that we couldn't stay in our normal cabins because they were already booked. Fortunately for us though, Tambrey was kind enough to allow us to stay with her and the family (which is huge if you don't know - 7 kiddos!). Tiffany had recently had a birthday so we were also planning a surprise party for her as well. And we kept it a secret... all the way up until the morning of. #oopsydaisy

Anyway, this was such an incredible trip for me. We drove up on Friday and left on Monday. It's a 10.5 hourdrive from where we live in Texas, and with stops among traffic, it can take anywhere between 11.5-12 hours to arrive. My dad and my step mom were visiting also this week (they also live in Texas near me), and they arrived on Tuesday and were leaving Saturday, so we had one night as a whole group to go to dinner. We went toBrooks Shaw's Old Country Store & Restaurantlocated in Jackson, Tennessee. It was a buffet styled dinner with an ice cream parlor inside and they have an ADORABLE shop with tons of homemade pickles, candy, and farmhouse decor! Definitely a great place for a large family with tons of things to keep the kids entertained.

Then on Saturday we went to soccer games for five of the kiddos (total of three games), had breakfast at the park, then spent some time at the house, and had Tiffany's "surprise" birthday party that evening!

I have these two photos as "live" photos on my iphone and it brings a smile to my face every time watching Randi giggling and running towards my hand. Forever a favorite.

Saturday was full of so much enjoyment for me. Being able to attend my nieces and nephews games for the FIRST time ever, was such a blessing. Then to enjoy some outdoor games including life-size Yahtzee and receive high-fives from Randi for good luck before every turn of horseshoes and then to finish the night off with good company from family and friends made it such a memorable day for me as well. Ponies are life. Am I right or am I right? Seriously though, Randi laying backwards and just chillin' is the funniest thing ever to me.

On Sunday we enjoyed hearing my brother-in-law, Clint, preach at two services, relaxed around my sister's house, then went back to church for their "Children's Day" celebration. This was probably one of the best weekends I've ever had in Tennessee. Family time is so crucial with them because we rarely get to see them as it is, so having this time to really bond with my sisters and my nieces and nephews made this trip unforgettable for me.Shout out to my sister and brother-in-law for an awesome weekend spent on their gorgeous property - we love you!While I was in Tennessee, I also interviewed each of my sisters! Tambrey and Tiffany live completely different lifestyles but were raised together majority of their lives, so I thought it would be interesting to compare the two. So stay tuned for another blog post this week comparing Mom & Farm Life vs Travel & Van Life.

All in all, amazing trip. What is a special place that you visit every chance you get?